Operation Trident training

05 Dec 2007

Please note - This news release has now been archived and may contain outdated information.

NSW DPI Fisheries Officers, NSW Police and NSW Food Authority staff will take part in Operation Trident training days. The Operation, which was launched earlier this year, involves three key Government agencies who have joined forces in a bid tackle oyster thefts and address the growing black market.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Manager Special Operations, Tony Andrews, says the training will be delivered by DPI and Food Authority staff, assisted by local industry.

"Anywhere between 20 and 50 people are expected to attend the training days which will cover all aspects of Operation Trident and the oyster industry, including;

An overview of the NSW oyster industry including cultivation techniques

"The aim of Operation Trident is to help dismantle the black market that rips off tens of thousands of oysters, worth tens of thousands of dollars, across NSW each year.

"Last year alone an estimated 55,000 Sydney rock oysters were stolen from farms up and down the coast, most were mature and ready for eating. As oysters are slow growing, taking around 3 years to mature, this makes oyster theft even harder to swallow," Mr Andrews said.

Not only is stealing oysters against the law, but stolen oysters can also be unsafe to eat as they haven’t been depurated or filtered, a process that ensures the consumer buys safe and wholesome oysters.

Operation Trident is a long term operation involving both covert and overt operations up and down the NSW coast. NSW Police and DPI have utilised high tech surveillance equipment, including lasers and infra red cameras to gather intelligence.